Sight for firearms



` (No Model.)

W. LYMAN.

SIGHT F011 FIRBARMS.

NO. 541,559.l Patenfe'd June 25,' 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LYMAN, OF-MIDDLEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 541,559, dvat'ed June25, 1895. Application fiiednnmy 8,1895. seriainmsstzvs; (roman.)

To aZZ witam, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LYMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Middlefield, in the county of Middlesex and State ofOonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sightsfor Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to anl improved sight for firearms, the objectbeing to provide a rear Sight of extremely simple construction, whichshall be capable of rapid adjustment, and ada'pted to fit the gun snuglyand compactly, without projecting parts liable to engage twigs andbrancheswhile being carried through thickets or underbrush.

The invention consists in the novel oscillating side lever sight pivotedto the arm, in the clamping means, and the arrangement, combination andconstruction of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this invention, Figure 1is a side elevation of my improved sight fittedV to a firearin. Fig. 2is a lplan view, and Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation, of the same. Fig. 4is a horizontal section on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end viewof the clamping-nut viewed from the inner end. Fig. 6 isahorizontalsection through the sight on the line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a Verticallengthwise section on the line a'z, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a plan view of aspring-washer. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the combined indicator-armand spring. Fig. 10 is a view of the clamping-lever. Fig. 11 shows amodification of the clamping mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a portion of the breech of afirearm, of the form known to the trade as the Marlin model of 1893, towhich class of arms my. improved sight is particularly applicable.

B designates the sight lever, which is fitted against and pivoted to theflattened surface, a', on the left hand side of the breech as farforward as possible, and it should be made as long as it canconveniently be, without interfering with the operation of thehammer.For the model referred to and in most others, the form of the lever willbe substantially as shown in the drawings, comprising an arm or leverproper, b', a depending clamping spur or branch 222 having a Verticalslot 173, and a sight base B4 projectinglaterally from the lever andoverhanging the barrel to form a support upon which the sight C,ismounted. The forward end b of the lever is pivoted to the breech by thescrew D, and a screw or Stud E is screwed into the breech through the'slot 133 in the branch 192 upon which stud is mounted the mechanism forclamping the Sight in itsv 'to permit the bodily rearward movement ofthe lever to conform to such configuration of the slot, the movement ofthe lever lengthwise being about equal to the versed sine of the arcthrough which the lever would swing were the slot curved instead ofstraight. The lever is recessed to partly receive the head of' the screwD, but such recess may be a simple circular-counterbore, as shown,provided that it is made sufficiently large topermit the lengthwisemovement of the lever aforesaid. The part of the screw fitting the holeb6 is cylindrical and forms a shoulder 117 to gage the depth to whichthe screw may be screwed into the wall of lthe breech, a cupped springwasher being fitted on the screw under the head thereof to preventlateral play of the lever on its pivot, the lever throughout its lengthfitting snugly against the fiat surface of the firearm, p The screw orstud E is also screwed into the flattened surface a' near the rear endthereof, and it hasa middle cylindrical portion e' fitting the slot b3in the lever, and somewhat larger than the threaded inner end of thescrew, thus forming a shoulder 82 which may be screwed tightly againstthe flat side of the firearm. Said cylindrical portion in length exceedsthe thickness of the lever and projects through the slot 113,sufficiently to form a bearing for a spring g which consists of a fiatspring bar having one end coiled around to form an eye g' fitting thepart e' of the screw, said eye portion being made somewhat spiral, orhaving its end Q2 defiected from the plane of the straight part or arm93 of the bar whereby it is adapted to form an elastie -washer betweenthe lever and the means for clamping the lever against its seat ashereinafter deseribed. A straight groove his fol'med in the lever at theside of and parallel with the slot Z)3 and a screw h' is serewed throughthe end of the arm g8 of the spring, projecting into said groove, asshown in Fig. 6, whereby as the level' is oscillated upon its pivot inoperation the arm Q3 is maintained in a position parallel with the slotos, the eye g' correspondingly swivelinguponits bearinge'. Thusarranged,said arm is adapted to carry a pointer 712 litting upon it as shown inFig. 6 and heid in place by the aforesaid scl'ew h', clamped between thehead of the serew and the arm. The lever is graduated by a series oflines I in the path of said pointer to indicate the various elevationsor gage of the sight O in sighting. The hole h3 in the pointerthroughwhich the screw passes is somewhat elongated vertieally to permit aslight adjustment of the poiuter or its arm in setting the iever in thezero position, or point blank, and a screw bg is set in the part D4,bearing upon the bl'eech, for adjusting the lever to such position.

The outer portion of the siud E is serew threaded to receive an annularnut which is received within the eye k' of a clamping level' or handleK, the nut being provided with a fiange z? on its outer end to hold thesaid handle in place. A series of notches g are milled on the peripheryof the nut, and a set screw 73 is screwed through the rim of the eye ofthe clampinghandle, havingits pointed end adapted to enter the notcbes1'3 of the nut. Thus in operation the clamping llalldle may be Set inany required position, or radial line from the stud E, and the nutclamped tirmly down upon it, by means of a screw-driver fitting the sloti* in its tlauge, after which the set serew 702 may be screwed down intoone of the notches ia, thus insurin'g the proper position of theclamping handle When clamped down, which is preferably that shown in theiigures, a result that could not readily be accomplished were the nutand handle made integral. To insure the utlnost friction, the nut ismade of less length than the eye of the handle, and does not impingeupon the spring g, the face of the eye of the handle only beingbroughtin contact with the spring and subjected to frietional pressure. Thespring g not only provides an anti rattling joint 'between the parts,but enables the clamping action of thenut to be graduated, as forinstance, if the clamping handle be slightlyloosed from the position inwhicll it clamps the sight level' rigidly in place, it will still holdthe sight level' in position while at the same time permitting readyadjustment thereof by sufficient force exerted upon a small knob,Zprovided as a thuinb piece for convenient manipulation of the Sightlevel' by the thulnb, and very handy in use whether the clamping handleis wholly or partially loosed. If desired the nut i' may be screwed intothe eye 7a' as shown in Fig. 11 and secured by set screw, the thread ofthe nut serving the function of the fiange i.

Any suitable form of sight may be used in connection with theoscillating lever. For purposes of illustration I have shown a simplet'ubular sight C secured on a plate c' which is titted in a groove m onthe overhanging laterally projeeting part or sight base U* of the lever,and held by a clamping serewn. The cross sectional configuration of theslot is -preferably that shown in Fig. 7, the sides thereof beinginclined as shown, and parallel, that is, one forming an acute angle andthe other an obtnse angle with the surface of the sight base, the sidehaving the obtuse angle being adjacent the clamping screw, whereby saidscrew, having its head overlapping the plate c', will force the platedownward and laterally, by means of said inclined sides of the plate andslot, and the plate will be held in place on one side by the dovetailedform of the snrfaces in contact, and on the other by the overiappinghead of the screw, thus securely holding the sigllt in place. To linlitthe endwise movement of the plate, a port-ion of its edge may be cutaway and the screw eorrespondingly set over into such space, as shown inFig. 2.

The operation of this sigh'm is extremcly simple, and it may be readilyand rapidly adjnsted in any position. When at pointblank, it tits thegun very snngly and has no projecting parts to catch twigs and braucheswhile being carried throngll the underbrnsh. It is capable of a largerange of adjustment, and if desired, an auxiliary foltling Sight, as t,in Fig. 1, (shown folded back) may bel attached to the side of thelever, to be used in connection with a head or other simple form ofsight attached to the side of the gun anywhere between the breech andmuzzle, in the usual manner, here requiring neither to be shown ordescribed.

The sight may readily be applied to firearms by simply dl'illing andthreading two holes for the reception of the screws D and 1, and extremeaccuracy is not required in laying out the said holes, owing to thelengthwise play of the level' on the serewl).

It is highly advantageous to use this sight on ritles like the Marlinmodel of 1893 (shown inthe drawings) which have such a long bolt actionas to ,make it inconvenieut to put on a tang sight.

I claim as my invention- 1. A verticaiiy oscillating sight level`pivoted upon the side of the firearm and provided with a lateraliypl'ojecting sight base overhanging the gun breech and having a groovetransverse to the barrel and rhomboidal in cross-sectional area, incombination with a plate fitting the groove and adapted to be securedthel'ein by a elamping screw in the base bearing upon the plate ou theside opposite that which is dovetailed into the base, a sight mounted onthe plate and clamp- IPO ing means for Securing the lever in Sightingposition, Substantially as Specified.

2. The combination of a lever pivoted to the Side of the firearm andprovided with a v'laterally projecting Sight base overhanging the gunbreech, a Sight mounted thereon, a

Stud Secured in the firearm and projeoting through a Slot in the lever,and a clamping nut on Said Stud for clamping the lever in differentsighting positions.

3. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight lever pivotallymounted at the side of the firearm, suitably slotted for movement upon aclamping Stud and having'a laterally projecting Sight base overhangingthe breech a Sight mounted on Said base, athreaded Stud mounted on thefirearm and projecting through Said Slotted part of the lever, and aclamping nut received upon the outer end of the Stud, and adapted toclamp and hold the lever in various sighting positionS,aS and for thepurpose specified.

4. The combination of a'vertically oscillating Sight lever pivotallymounted at the Side of the firearm having a depending slotted Spur, andprovided with a laterally projectiug Sight base overhanging the breech,a Sight mounted on saidv base, a threaded Stud mounted at the side ofthe firearm and projecting through the slotted Spur of the lever, aclamping nut mounted upon the projecting part of Said Stud, and aclamping lever or handle rotatively adjustable on Said nut,Substantially as and for the purpose Specitied.

5. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mountedat the Side of the firearm having a depending Slotted Spur and providedwith a laterally proj ectin g Sight base overhanging the breech, a Sightmounted on Said base, a threaded Stud mounted at the Side of the firearmand projecting through the Slotted Spur of the lever, a clamping nutmounted upon the projecting part of Said Stud, a clamping lever orhandle rotatively adjustable on said nut and an indicator mounted on apart fixed to the firearm, the lever being Suitably graduated withreference to said indicator, substantially as and for the purposeSpecited.

6. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mountedat the Side of the firearm, comprising a radial arm, a laterallyprojecting Sight base overhanging the breeoh, and a spur Slottedtransversely to the radius of the Said radial arm, a Sight mounted onSaid base, a threaded Stud mounted at the Side of the firearm andprojecting through the slot of the lever, a clamping nut mounted uponthe projecting part of Said Stud, a clamping lever or haudle rotativelyadjustable on Said nut, and an indicator or pointer mounted upon theSaid Stud, the lever being Suitably gradnated with reference to Saidpointer, sub- Stantially as and for the purpose Specified.

7. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mountedat the Side of the Vfirearm, comprising a radial arm, a laterallyprojecting Sight base overhanging the breech, and a Spur Slottedtransversely to the radius of the said radial arm, the Slot thereofbeing substantially Straight, and the lever being adapted to radialmovement on its pivot o or` respondingr to the deflection of theoscillation) of the lever from movement in the arc of a circle, due toSaid slot being Straight and uncurved, a threaded Stud mounted on thefirearm and fitting Said slot in the lever, a clamping nut received uponSaid Stud outside of the lever, and adapted to clamp or Secure the leverin place, an indicator arm ptvotally mounted on Said Stud, and guided onthe lever to remain Substantially parallel with the slot thereof, as thelever iS oscillated uponits pivot, the lever being Suitably grad uatedwith reference to the indicator to denote the range of firing,Substantially as and for the purpose Specified.

v8. The combination of a vertically oscillating Sight pivotally mountedat the side of'the firearm oomprising a radial arm, a laterallyprojeoting Sight base overhangingthe breech, and a Spur Slottedtransversely to the radius of the Said radi'al arm, the Slot thereofbeing Substantially straight, and the lever being adapted to radialmovement on its pivot o orresponding to the defiection of theoscillation of the lever from movement in the arc of a oirole, due toSaid Slot being Straight and uncurved, `a threaded Stud mounted onthefirearm and fitting Said Slot in the lever, a clamping nut receivedupon Said Stud outside of the lever, and adapted to clamp or Secure thelever in place, an indicator arm pivotally vmounted ou Said Stud betweenthe lever and clamping nut, the eye thereof comprising a convolution ofa coil and being elastic and adapted to Serve as a Spring to press thele-' ver frictionally against the side of the firearm, and the outer endof the indicator arm being held and guided on the lever to remainSubstantially parallel with theslot thereof, as the lever is oscillatedupon its pivot, the lever being Suitably graduated with reference to theindicator to denote the range of firing, Substantially as and for thepurpose Specified.

WILLIAM LYMAN.

Witnesses:

GoRDoN S. GooDRIoH,

' LOUISE A. DURRENBERGER.

IOO

